Two brittle material substrates bonded together referred to as “bonded brittle material substrate” in the present specification, includes a flat display panel such as liquid crystal display comprising two glass substrates bonded together, a plasma display panel, and an organic EL display panel, and the like, and a bonded semiconductor substrate comprising a glass substrate bonded with a silicon substrate, a sapphire substrate, or the like. Hereinafter, a bonded brittle material substrate comprising two brittle material substrates bonded together will be described by exemplifying a liquid crystal panel. Cutting of brittle materials is made by scribing and breaking, and such cutting is hereinafter referred to as separation of brittle materials.
FIG. 45 is a block diagram showing a conventional liquid crystal panel separation line 900. The liquid crystal panel separation line 900 comprises a scribing apparatus 901. FIG. 46 is a perspective view showing the scribing apparatus 901. The scribing apparatus 901 comprises a table 905. A liquid crystal mother panel 908 is placed on the table 905. The table 905 is provided that it can be moved in a direction Y1 and rotated in a direction θ1. The liquid crystal mother panel 908 comprises two glass substrates bonded together.
The scribing apparatus 901 comprises a scribing head 811 for scribing the surface of the upper glass substrate (hereinafter also referred to as an “A-side substrates”) of two glass substrates constituting the liquid crystal mother panel 908 placed on the table 905, and is provided so that the scribing head 811 can be slid in a direction X1. A chip holder 806 is attached to the scribing head 811. A cutter wheel chip 804 for scribing the liquid crystal mother panel 908 along a predetermined scribing line S, is rotatively supported at a lower end of the chip holder 806. A motor 812 for driving the scribing head 811 in the direction X1 is provided in the scribing apparatus 901. The scribing apparatus 901 further comprises a CCD camera 929 and a monitor 930. The CCD camera 929 recognizes alignment marks provided on the liquid crystal mother panel 908 so as to position the liquid crystal mother panel 908. The monitor 930 displays the alignment marks recognized by the CCD camera 929.
A breaking apparatus 902 is provided on the side of downstream of the scribing apparatus 901. FIG. 47 is a perspective view showing the breaking apparatus 902. The breaking apparatus 902 comprises a table 917. The liquid crystal mother panel 908 is placed on the table 917 in such a manner that the A-side substrate is positioned on the lower side. The table 917 can be moved in a direction Y2 and rotated in a direction θ2. The breaking apparatus 902 comprises a breaking bar 919 for separating the A-side substrate along a scribing line provided thereon. The breaking bar 919 is provided to the table 917 in such a manner that the breaking bar 919 can be moved upward and downward over the liquid crystal mother panel 908. A hard rubber member 920 having a V-shaped section is attached to the lower side of the breaking bar 919.
A scribing apparatus 901A is placed on the side of downstream of the breaking apparatus 902. The scribing apparatus 901A has the same configuration as that of the scribing apparatus 901, and scribes the other substrate of the two glass substrates constituting the liquid crystal mother panel 908, opposite to the A-side substrate (hereinafter also referred to as a “B-side substrate”).
A breaking apparatus 902A is placed on the side of downstream of the scribing apparatus 901A. The breaking apparatus 902A has the same configuration as that of the breaking apparatus 902, and breaks the B-side substrate along a scribing line provided thereon.
FIG. 48 is a plan view showing the conventional liquid crystal mother panel 908. FIG. 49 is a perspective view showing a liquid crystal panel 909 separated from the liquid crystal mother panel 908. The liquid crystal mother panel 908 is divided into six liquid crystal panels 909 in a matrix of 3×2. Terminals 913 are provided on two edges of the lower-side glass substrate of the two glass substrates constituting the liquid crystal panel 909. A seal 911 is provided between the two glass substrates constituting the liquid crystal mother panel 908. Liquid crystal is poured into a gap between the two glass substrates sealed by the seal 911 through an inlet 914.
FIG. 50 is a plan view for explaining an adhesive seal 915 provided on the liquid crystal mother panel 908. The adhesive seal 915 is provided on a peripheral portion of the liquid crystal mother panel 908 and between each seal 911 so as to prevent scattering of substrate fragments, which are generated when separating the liquid crystal mother panel 908.
The operation of the thus-constructed liquid crystal panel separation line 900 will be described below. FIG. 51 is a front view for explaining the operation of the conventional scribing apparatus 901. FIG. 52 is a front view for explaining the operation of the conventional breaking apparatus 902. FIG. 53 is a front view for explaining the operation of the scribing apparatus 901A. FIG. 54 is a front view for explaining the operation of the breaking apparatus 902A.
Referring to FIGS. 45, 46 and 51, in the scribing apparatus 901, when the liquid crystal mother panel 908 is placed on the table 905 by a feeding mechanism (not shown) in such a manner that the A-side substrate 910 is positioned on the upper side, a scribing line S1 is formed on the A-side substrate 910 by the cutter wheel chip 804.
Referring to FIGS. 45, 47 and 52, the liquid crystal mother panel 908, A-side substrate 910 of which has been scribed by the scribing apparatus 901, is turned upside down by an inverting mechanism (not shown), and is placed on the table 917 of the breaking apparatus 902 in such a manner that the A-side substrate 910 is positioned on the lower side. Thereafter, the breaking bar 919 is moved downward to press the B-side substrate 912 in a position which is along the scribing line S1, thereby separating the A-side substrate 910 along the scribing line S1.
Referring to FIGS. 45, 46 and 53, the liquid crystal mother panel 908, A-side substrate 910 of which has been separated by the breaking apparatus 902, is transferred by a transferring mechanism (not shown), and is placed on the table 905 of the scribing apparatus 901A in such a manner that the A-side substrate 910 is positioned on the lower side. Substrate pieces 916 which have been separated by the breaking apparatus 902 are placed on the table 905 along with the liquid crystal mother panel 908, since the substrate fragments 916 are adhered to the B-side substrate 912 by the adhesive seal 915. In the scribing apparatus 901A, a scribing line S2 is formed on the B-side substrate 912 by the cutter wheel chip 804.
Referring to FIGS. 45, 47 and 54, the liquid crystal mother panel 908, B-side substrate 912 of which has been scribed by the scribing apparatus 901A, is turned upside down by an inverting mechanism (not shown), and is placed on the table 917 of the breaking apparatus 902A in such a manner that the B-side substrate 912 is positioned on the lower side. Thereafter, the breaking bar 919 of the breaking apparatus 902A is moved downward to press the A-side substrate 910 in a position which is along the scribing line S2 so that the B-side substrate 912 is separated along the scribing line S2. The resultant substrate fragments adhered together by the adhesive seal 915, are then removed together.
FIG. 55 is a diagram showing a configuration of another conventional scribing apparatus 950. The scribing apparatus 950 comprises a table 951, and both ends of the liquid crystal mother panel 908 are placed thereon. A fixing member 952 for fixing the liquid crystal mother panel 908, is attached to the table 951. The scribing apparatus 950 comprises a pair of cutter heads 953 and 954 which sandwich the liquid crystal mother panel 908 vertically.
In the thus-constructed scribing apparatus 950, when the liquid crystal mother panel 908 is fixed on the table 951 by the fixing member 952, the upper and lower surfaces of the liquid crystal mother panel 908 are simultaneously scribed by the respective cutter heads 953 and 954.
In the liquid crystal panel separation line 900 described above with reference to FIGS. 45 through 54, each side of the liquid crystal mother panel 908 has to be scribed and broken at different times. Therefore, processing time is long and an area occupied by the apparatus is large.
Further, the liquid crystal mother panel 908 has to be turned upside down after scribing, so that the positioning of the liquid crystal mother panel 908 is required again.
Moreover, in order to prevent a situation that some substrate fragments 916 generated by the separation of the A-side substrate 910 by the breaking apparatus 902, might be removed not completely or might be dropped during the transfer, which is likely to cause troubles in the production line, the adhesive seal 915 for adhering pairs of the two glass substrates together, has to be provided between each pair of the two glass substrates. Therefore, extra steps are required for preparing the liquid crystal mother panel 908 itself. Further, the amount of a material for the seal is increased, thereby leading to an increase in cost for the liquid crystal mother panel 908.
In the scribing apparatus 950 described above with reference to FIG. 55, a breaking apparatus is additionally required for separating the liquid crystal mother panel 908 scribed by the scribing apparatus 950. Further, an inverting apparatus is still additionally required for inverting the liquid crystal mother panel 908 scribed by the scribing apparatus 950 and feeding it to the breaking apparatus.
An object of the present invention is to provide a separation apparatus and production line capable of reducing a processing time for separating a mother panel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a separation apparatus and production line having a small footprint (i.e., occupying a small area).
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a separation apparatus and a production line capable of separating a mother panel without requiring the provision of an adhesive seal.